Follow the life of Tamera as she CURVES herself into shape, gains the COURAGE to believe in herself, transitions back to her natural CURLS and walks the runway of life in COUTURE while letting CHRIST lead her every step.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Last Year +Alissa Wilson posted a blog entitled Breaking All The Rules. In the blog she urged
curvy girls to break down the fashion barriers and wear clothes that we've been
told our whole lives didn't look right on our shape--horizontal stripes, crop
tops, tutu’s, bikini’s, mini skirts, and even skinny jeans. Now, I've never been the type to feel
insecure about what I wore, but as I read the post I began to realize that
subconsciously I also believed that those items just didn't suite my curvy
frame.

The other day while searching Facebook, I came across a
picture of From The Rez to the City.Her outfit was literally drop dead gorgeous!!! It took me back to the
days when I believed that curvy women couldn't wear patterns--let alone mix multiple
patterns.Unfortunately, the first
thing I said was, "I wish I could pull that look off."At that moment I instantly recalled
Stylish Curves blog.Why did I
believe I couldn't pull it off? I rushed to my nearest +Lane Bryant to find the
items she had in her picture.At
first I just wanted to try the outfit on...It was only supposed to stay in the
dressing room, but to my surprise the outfit was EVERYTHING! It looked amazing
on me as well.It was at that
moment that I realized Curvy Girls can wear anything... even mixed prints.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Sometimes we forget to follow our dreams because we are so caught up in what others will say. We slowly die inside letting others dictate our next move. While researching topics about today's blog, I came across this quote, "The secret of living is giving, if you follow your
dreams then you will have something worth sharing with others, hope,
inspiration and a meaning to live, and that to me, is a great
contribution."

The young lady I am featuring for the month of February is such an inspiration to me. I have known her since my freshman year in college and never knew she could draw... let alone create a masterpiece. She decided one day to be happy and follow her dreams of becoming an artist. Her talent is truly "something worth sharing with others, hope, inspiration and a meaning to live"

Today I challenge you to only focus on you and your dreams.

April Fitzpatrick

1. What got you interested in art? Have you taken any art
classes?

My interest in art began as I child. Being the only child
those were one of the many ways to keep me occupied. As time went on, i stopped
due to lack of support and being trained to achieve only in the academic arena.
So, I did! Blah! I have taken a couple of courses in college, just a couple. My
creative mind and expressive spirit was born through gifted courses while in
elementary and middle school.

2. What was the hardest part of pursuing your career as an
artist? How did you overcome it?

The hardest part was going against society. I would get
asked what I did or what I wanted to become and I would say I paint or I'm am
artist. Even when I would speak to other artist, I would often get a
discouraging eye or the "surviving artist" story. I overcame it by
praying and producing. The more I said--God maybe this is just a hobby, the
more I grew, the more I painted, then people took me serious. I spoke life over
what I felt I had been called to do.

3. Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?

Most of my paintings are inspired by the African American
experience. Taking those negatives and using color to create positives. I also
study other artist and the themes they capture. And sometimes I just get up and
paint.

4. Can you remember one of the first things you painted?
What makes it memorable?

I painted elephants in the mist of a sunset represented by
time and color. It was memorable because it was at this point that I knew I
could inspire and reach people. My line sister was complaining about grad
school and sleep and I decided to paint it for a little inspiration.

5. Why the name Hopeful Kreations?

H.O.P.E.ful Kreations. It came from my slogan while
competing for Miss Tougaloo which was initially Catch the H.O.P.E. I had
experienced troubling times during my tenure in college, that I had not faced,
only suppressed. As a senior I decided to face them. I had also gone to Africa.
So a mixture of old and new, failure and success, love and hate, I knew that
after it was all said and done i needed hope. Although I didn't win a crown, my
crown came from serving the people through words. Several people had come to me
afterwards expressing how I had inspire them with my courageous spirit. So that
acronym stands for Helping Out People Everywhere. Once I started to paint I
just added the ful and Kreations serving as a mission to inspire.

6. I’ve noticed a lot of your paintings feature women with
natural hair. Your hair is AMAZING!!! How long have you been natural and what
are your favorite CURLY girl products?

I have been natural since 2010. To be honest I have no
favorite! I'm still learning and trying to see what fits my hair best.

7. Where can somebody reach you if interested in purchasing
a painting?

8. What, in your opinion, is the hardest step in creating a
masterpiece?

My hardest step would be capturing an event/expression/
theme and actually deciding which I will do and how I will express it. So much
runs through my head on a daily.

9. What would you say to somebody who wants to pursue their
career as an artist but is discouraged by everybody telling them to “Get a
regular job.”?

You have to start first, believe, be obedient, be willing to
sacrifice, invest in yourself, have patience, and never stop. All things I
struggled with and still have to examine. The world will sell you things
because that's what it is suppose to do. But dreamers must take a step out in
faith and truly question your purpose in life and what mark will you leave
behind. These are the things that keep me going.

10. And finally, I would like to give you this opportunity
to share 4 paintings and tell us a little about what each means to you.

Take a Bite Out of Love (Love is a scary thing for me for
several reasons, so I just make fun with it until it bites me)

The African experience. ( I am proud of my heritage! Those 5
weeks in Africa made an impact on my life that I'm forever grateful for.)

The piece is rarely new, a commissioned piece. ( I never cease to amaze myself. When I feel the most afraid and overwhelmed, I produce awesome pieces. And this in particular captures the life of someone, their likes, interest, and fields of study. I think it's important to remind people how great and purposeful they are.)

I'm Afraid, Don't Be (living in a fast lane...trying to
understand life...and making the best of it)

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

If you're snowed in like me you don't have time to get out and do any last minute shopping and overnight shipping isn't even guaranteed because all the roads are shut down. This time you actually have to go to your closet and try to put something together. (I really put these two outfits together last minute.) To my surprise I actually find something in my closet that never has anything for me to put on.

Day Look

Does your date have something planned for you to do during the day? You want to be comfortable while still being cute? Pair your favorite sweatshirt with a bold skirt and some comfortable heels. This style is sure to catch his attention whether you're enjoying a picnic at the park or catching a matinee at your local theatre.

Romantic Dinner Plans? You want to be sexy but not too revealing. I paired an old lace skirt with a velvet dress I found while thrifting. I loved the dress but was not comfortable with its length. Don't be scared to pull out items you feel are too short or revealing--just pair them with something you think would go together. Velvet and Lace is the perfect combination!! It gives you a classic look and leaves him admiring your curves.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Let me first begin this review by saying The January CurlBox is EVERYTHING!!! Like seriously... it came right on time... I used every product in less than an hour after opening the box. Luckily I was just a month into a protective style and my tresses needed some serious attention on wash day. +Myleik Teele you did your thing with this box girl...So what came in the box?? Take a look.. I'll review each product

In case you didn't notice it from the picture... Yes, those are all FULL SIZED products... Talk about amazed... I pay $20 a month for my subscription and of course I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth... This box was definitely worth the money.. I went to my local +Target and found the Clear Scalp and Hair items... I saw the Silk Wrap at my local WalMart but forgot to snap a pic... So I searched the web for the lowest prices for the Silk Wrap and Styling Foam.Check out the prices below:

So yeah... Let's see... (4.99 *3) + 5.49 + 7.99 =$30

So I definitely saved money and a trip to three different stores just to find each product. But now you might ask... Is it really worth it? I'll honestly review each product....

Price:

Clear Hair and Scalp Products $5

Evolve Silk Hair Wrap $8

Motion's Styling Foam $6

If you're on any type of hair journey, I'd think you agree that these prices are not bad at all. I walk down the ethnic hair care aisles in WalMart and Target and see hair care products almost costing at least $30 for a small bottle of conditioner. Now that's outrageous!!! I will definitely repurchase these items with my own money once I run out!

Product Design:I love the product design of each bottle. First the brown color of the bottle made it seem real fancy. Like I was using a product that only professionals use. I also like the sleek design of the bottles and the easy push top. It was easy for me to handle each product while also managing my hair. I hate products that comes in those jars... I always drop them in the shower and lose half of my product. The design of these products are very ergonomic. My silk wrap scarf was so cute! It's very soft to the touch. I had the zebra print scarf in my box. Here's a picture of me wearing the scarf below.

Ingredients:

Now I am not a natural ingredients nazi... However, I do pay attention to the ingredients in every product I use. At the end of the day, I believe if it works then you should use it.... I don't agree with slathering your hair with parabens, mineral oil or dimethicone everyday but in small doses these ingredients can greatly improve the health of your hair and scalp....

Before you go throwing products in the trash because of the ingredients, I highly suggest you at least give them a try. Especially if you're transitioning like me. I've noticed that products such as these actually help me work through two different textures with ease.

My Experience:After DC overnight I prepped my hair into six sections to prepare for the wash. I applied the shampoo onto the scalp of each section, lathered and rinse. To my surprise the shampoo was not stripping at all. My scalp felt AMAZING! It also didn't re-tangle my hair. (I've experienced many shampoos tangling my hair even after I detangle prior to washing). After shampooing each section I applied the conditioner from root to tip. I totally fell in love with the smell of the conditioner! It also gave my hair a lot of slip. After applying the conditioner I applied the deep nourishing treatment mask. I recently developed the habit of applying two conditioners on my hair journey. The first just to add some slip to my hair and the second to actually moisturize my strands. I find this process easier to manage my transitioning hair. The treatment mask was definitely the best part of my experience. First, the mask looks like milk and honey... yes... flowing with milk and honey. But it didn't just stop with the appearance. I left the conditioner on for 5 minutes per the directions. After rinsing my hair felt like BUTTER!! It was amazing!!!! After washing my hair I let it air dry... and back to protective styling it was. This time I opted for medium size long box braids. After putting in box braids I always apply a styling foam to my braids to help lock the braids in place.... I had just ran out of my usual foam spray so, like I said the curl box was right on time! I applying the Motion's styling foam to my braids... I loved that it didn't have an alcohol smell and that it didn't leave my hair sticky and dry like other foams.

Final Verdict: I would definitely repurchase these items again!! I have even already recommended them to at least 5 people today. If you would like to subscribe to CurlBox you can visit http://www.curlbox.com/